A box book first, an inlay book second. Either way, well worth a look.

Price $16.49 via Amazon. Amazon also sells used copies through its affiliates and Half.com may have it for even less.

Doug Stowe definitely knows his boxes. He’s built thousands of them over the years. Anytime an expert like this decides to share his secrets I try to pay attention.

The focus on “Inlay” is a fuzzy one at best. Stowe talks in detail about how to make inlay strips and panels and for that information alone this book is worth its price. A true artist should know how every little bit of his/her works are put together. Since inlay can be a beautiful enhancer to wood projects, designing and assembling your own inlay can only increase your artisanship.

Once the basics of inlay production and application has been covered, the book goes into some excellent box designs that I look forward to trying. Here’s where one star goes away and I readily admit I am being picky about this point. Many of these boxes don’t require or even need inlay work to be wonderfully successful. As a woodworker I both like and dislike this. I like the freedom to use the designs without being bound to the concept of inlay. I dislike that you don’t really need the inlay to make the designs successful, thus the point of the book.

Either way, this is a good book and many useful designs and techniques can be drawn from it.